Quick, detachable safety support or belt



JOHN E. BERL IN VEN TOR.

BY wg @Q United States Patent O This invention relates generally to safety harness, and

more particularly it pertains to a means for restricting the movement of the extremities, wrists, ankles, and the torso This application July 27, 1962, Ser. No.`

of handicapped patients or persons without impairment to the circulatory system by pressure or physical discomfort. This application is Ia. continuation of U.S. patent application, Serial No. 28,962, tiled by Iapplicant on May 13, 1960, for Quick, Detachable Support or Belt, and now abandoned. j i

` Strap-type supports are useful for guarding the safety of physically or mentally handicapped persons. In the past, leather r duck belting has been used on hospital beds, examination tables and wheelchairs to support a patient a desired position. However, such belts leave much to be desired in comfort to the patient in cleanliness and compatibility with bed clothing and hospital type apparel.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a new and improved safety support which is padded, quilted, covered, and taped for comfortable wear and sanitation and which is easily adjusted and secured to the required length for the conditions under which i-t is to be used.

Another object of this invention is to provide an imv 35100484 Patented Aug. 13,4 1963 FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a safety support incorporating novel features of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a patient showing the safety support applied thereto;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation of safety support disclosing details of the construction thereof;

vFIG.,4 is a fragmentary cross section taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 1 to disclose a manner `of threading the str-ap ends ofthe safety support througha buckle therefor; and FIG. 5 is la fnagmentary cross section `similar to that of FIG. 4 illustrating a prefenred'employment of the buckle. t n Y Referring now to the details of the drawings, there vis shown generally in FIG. l a safety` support or belt 1U. This safety suppor-t lor belt consists of composite stitchedand taped yfabricshaving rounded ends 12 and 14 Y reeved through a readily detachable friction buckle 16.

proved stitched composite cloth strap which is soft, which j possesses a minimum of elongation under tension, and which launders well without creepage or balling.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a safety support which conforms to irregular surfaces under tension without undue stnain on the stitching and which can be easily and economically manufactured in any deaired length.

Another :object of this invention is to provide a hospital safety belt `asseanbly which features an easily removable friction buckle of improved holding quality especially compatible to the mechanical properties `of a launderable fabric assembly.

To provide a buckle 'belt lof improved construction and durability to withstand unprecedented extended usage under severe insalubrious environment, is still another object of this invention.

To provide la hospital belt of improved holding qualities which, in common with its buckle, is especially conforming to the rounded contour of body is a further object of the invention.

Yet another `object of this invention is to provide a belt and buckle assembly which is less subject .to contamination and more conducive to sterilization of all its parts than heretofore.

To provide a bed patient security harness which does not limit the p'atients rotational mobility, thus preventing the formation of bed sores is another object of the invention.

And `anther object of this invention is to provide a universal service strap whose buckle can be positioned anywhere thereon and used singly or in together with another strap and the same or other buckles to fashion restrictive or positioning attitudes of -the limbs or torso of living or dead creatures.

These and other objects and attendant advantages of this invention will become more readily apparent and understood from the accompanying specification and single sheet of drawings in which:

members of a patient,

As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 4, the buckle 16consists of a pair of spaced parallel side legs 18, having a central leg 20 arranged panallel therewith but which is somewhat displaced from the common plane of the legs 18. The two ends 12 and 14 of the fabric belt 10l are threaded oppositely under the side legs 18r and over the central leg 20 with -frictioued engagement under tension of the fabric ends 12 and 14 with the buckle 16 at the overlap providing ya locking eect at any desired adjustment. t t

The buckle 16 `may be used most eectively in an inverted position from that shownin FIG. 4. As illustrated in FIG. 5', the fabric of belt 1li* is caused to bend l more sharply with this employment of the buckle and consequently a greaterfrictional engagement is obtained between the ovenlapped belt ends.

The compositeV fabric of the belt 10 is made upof an inner Woven cotton flannel 26, which i-s faced with outer cover cloths 22 Iand '24. It is important that the annel 26 be oriented so that the strong warp threads thereof run lengthwise, with the relatively weaker fuzzy Woof threads being placed or arranged substantially transversely of the belt 10. The flannel 26 and cover cloths 22 land 2'4 are secured together with spaced transverse stitching 2li at regular intervals (or irregular intervals, if desired) and with a plurality of rows of spaced and centered continuous longitudinal stitching 30 as shown best in FIG. 3.

The edges of the annel 26 and cover cloths 22 and 24 are made co-extensive and are covered with a single continuous folded twillv ,tape 32 positioned around the entire peripheral edge of the belt and secured by two rows of stitching 36 and 38 through all layers of the material.V

'I'he necessary splice in the tape 32 as shown by reference numeral 34 in FIG. 1 is made by overlapping the two ends so as to preservethe desired longitudinal tensile strength of the tape 32.

The improved safety support or belt 10 constructed as has been related is shown in use in FIG. 2 mounted Iaround a patient positioned in a wheelchair. It will conform as smoothly and comfortably about thetperson as blanket material. in conjunction with bed-ridden patients, or under other circumstances where it is desired to main-tain a patient in a desired position. lThe safety belt or support 10 is especially adapted for handicapped patients, such as, but not limited to, paraplegics, paralytics, cerebral palsly, muscular dystrophy, gereatric, convalescing and aged persons. It can be utilized for numerous other purposes, such as examination tables.

The belt 10 is unyieldingly in tension Iand it presents a neat appearance consisting with hospital articles. The padding flannel 26 is `adequately secured for long life under severe usage without danger of creeping, lumping up, or loss of resiliency even with repeated laundering.

The rough twill tape edge of the belt 10 is elective in 'In addition, the belt 10 can be used What is-claime`d is: Y

adonner 4 Moreover, vthe ready removal of the buckle facili- Y rates the laundry'processing of the belts and avoids dainage to laundry machinery. Y 4

Obviously many other modificationsand variations of theVV present` invention are possiblein light of the"y above teachings. Itis, therefore, to be understood vthat within the'soope of the'appended claim the invention may be practiced otherwise, than as specifically described. 'Y

l .A hospital retaining belt, comprising,l a support strap consisting of an inner layerof Woven cottonV iiarnel, an outer layer of soft fabric material Iarranged on each side of said inner layerzcoextensive therewith, said inner layer and each said outer layer being elongated sha ed and having coertensively` arranged with each other -a pair of ends 4and substantially parallel longitudinal edges, said inner layerY and each said outer layer' being secured to each other to form an assembly lof layers by a plurality of spaced rows of stitching arranged transversely of said strap and a plurality of spacedk rows 'of stitching arranged centered land lengthwise of said strap, the Woven cotton Vannel of said'inner layer having its strong warp threads arranged 4lengthwise of said strap and its relatively weaker Woof threads arranged vtransversely of `said strap, and

4 rough twill binding tape arrangedalong the ends and edges of said assembly of layers and folded onto each side thereof, said binding tape being stitched to said assembly of layers adjacent the ends and edges thereof, thereby securing the ends and edges of said assembly of layers together and forming said strap, and a friction buckle consisting of a pair of parallel spaced side legs and an intermediate leg located therebetween and arranged parallel therewith but displaced laterally from the vcommon vplane of said side legs, the ends of said strap `being inserted oppositely between said `side legs and the intermediate leg ofsaid buckle, said rough twill binding tape being in frictional engagement with said legs of saidV Y, y buckle and itself at the overlay of said strap within said buckle to obtain ia, locking effect between said strap and said buckle for any desired adjustment of said strap, whereby rotational movement by a patient retained by said belt is permitted to avoid bed sores and yet to maintain a safety support forv sra-idrpatient, said ends of said strap being free of engagement with said friction buckle,

whereby said friction buckle is removable to enable said support strap to be laundered therewithout.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,331,783 Johnstone Oct. l2, 1943 2,333,346 sweetland Novyz, 1943 2,520,710 Brown Aug. 29, 1950 2,644,963 Hitchens uly 14, 1953 2,851,033V 1958 Posey Sept. 9, 

